TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: Seeking to resolve the long pending contentious issue of Mayem evacuee property, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday introduced a special bill transferring all the controversial custodian lands to the Goa government.
The Goa (Abolition of proprietorships, titles and grants of lands) Bill, 2014 makes government the owner of all uncultivated, grass and pasture lands spread across the State and seeks to nullify all the liabilities on these lands.
In his budget speech, the chief minister also announced that he has provided Rs 20 crore for the implementation of the same.
The Bill seeks to resolve the Custodian of Evacuee property issue by allowing the State government to transfer the land. “All rights, title and interest of every proprietor, title holder, owner, grantee, in respect of any land held by him for his predecessors or his ancestors, under the erstwhile Portuguese regime, including those which has been declared as ‘evacuee property’ under the Goa Daman and Diu Administration of Evacuee Property Act, 1964 and presently vested in the custodian of evacuee properties shall stand abolished, extinguished and permanently cancelled and all such rights stand transferred and vested in State government,” the bill reads.
The chief minister had on December 19, 2013 assured to introduce a bill in the Assembly to resolve the custodian’s issue, pending since Liberation. As per the Bill, the collector will take charge or possession of all lands and rights that have been vested in the government.
The Bill also bans transfer of all such land except with the government permission. Giving a major relief to the tenants who were in possession of land on or before December 20, 1961 and were evicted thereof by the proprietor, would be given right to restore possession of their land.
The Bill also speaks about providing compensation to the proprietor whose land will now be vested in government.
No suit will lie in any civil courts in regards to the settlement of any of these land deals. The same has to be settled or dealt with by the collector or by the Tribunal.
